Saving Nudge
by kitkatqt95
Summary: JP needs to write more FAX... anyway, this is about the Flock saving nudge. Written as if the Flock were never discovered by the press... Enjoy, and review lots! Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride, or any of the characters... but i wish i did.
1. Chapter 1

1.

I sat up, stretching my arms after a whole 4 hours of sleep, more than I'd gotten in a long time. I looked around the room to see the rest of the flock still asleep... except Fang. I didn't see Fang anywhere in the room, actually. "Fang?" I looked around, trying to find him. "Where are you?" As I stood up, Fang came in wearing a blue, button-up shirt and dark-wash jeans, a tray of food in his hand. The top three buttons on his shirt were undone, making him look _really_ hot. Although, since we've gotten older, he usually _always_ looks hot. (Since we don't really know our exact age, we can only assume that we're both 18 now.)

"What? I'm right here." He walked toward me. "And I found a couple of cans of food in the pantry. Figured you'd be hungry when you woke up." He set down the tray on the small table next to the sofa, picked up a plate of food, and offered it to me. "I figured Iggy could make breakfast for everyone else when he wakes up."

I smiled. "You're very chatty this morning." I took a bite of the canned pears. "What put you in such a good mood?"

"What d'ya mean?"

"You just seem... Never mind."

"Max?" Angel called. She sat up and pointed her sweet eyes toward me with wonder. "What's for breakfast?"

"You'll have to ask Iggy, sweetie. Okay?"

Angel nodded. _You should just kiss him and get it over with,_ Angel thought to me.

I looked at Angel with shock. _What?_ I exclaimed.

Angel smiled. _You know what I mean. _She leaned over and started poking Iggy.

Oh, did I mention that Angel reads minds? And controls them. And puts her thoughts into other's heads. It can get pretty weird.

Fang looked questioningly at me. I just smiled and kept eating.

Iggy got up and followed Angel into the kitchen. They were followed by Gasman, who was probably as hungry as all of us put together. "Do I need to cook for you, too?" Iggy called out to Fang and me.

"No, thanks, Ig. We're fine," I replied, finishing off the instant oatmeal Fang had made. "Right, Fang?"

He just nodded.

I put the bowl back onto the tray and Fang took the tray into the kitchen. I stood up and followed him, stepping over Nudge, who was still sound asleep.

"Morning, Gazzy. Morning Angel," I said when I walked into the kitchen. Iggy, the blind spot in our flock, was working over the stove, a large mixing bowl full of pancake batter sitting on the counter next to him. "Looks good, Ig." He nodded and continued his cooking.

Why do we put the blind guy in charge of the stove? Because if it were any one of the rest of us, we'd all starve. And besides. He's not _totally_ blind. He can feel colors. Like, if he touches something, he can tell what color it is. Pretty insane, right?

As Iggy flipped the first pancakes off the griddle and onto a platter, Nudge came in with droopy eyes and a tired smile. "Do I smell breakfast?" she asked innocently.

"Well, good morning, sunshine. Yes, you do. Iggy's making you guys some pancakes," I replied.

Nudge hurried to the table and sat down, followed by Gazzy and Angel. I served the three some pancakes, 7 each to be exact, and went into the living room. I sat on the couch and turned on the TV as the rest of the flock ate breakfast. I was followed by Fang, who came in and sat down with me to watch the news. Well, if you can really call "on the far other side of the couch" sitting with me. There was nothing on the news worth watching. It was mostly just weather and such.

As the rest of our flock started coming into the living room, I heard a bang come from outside the house. I muted the TV, and everyone got quiet. I looked at Fang, and he looked right back at me. We were both thinking the same thing. _What _was_ that? _

_Max?_ Angel thought. _What's going on?_

I elbowed Fang in the side, and he went to the window. As he slowly pulled the curtains away from the window, a face appeared. Everyone gasped.

"Max, what's going on?" Iggy asked.

"There's someone outside."

As the face peered inside, I was able to barely recognize it. _"Ari?"_


	2. Chapter 2

2.

Once his face registered to me, I ran to the door, Fang following me outside and closed the door behind us.

"What do you want?" I demanded, ready to beat Ari to a pulp.

"Max, I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to talk."

"You better beat it, kid. We're done with you and your disaster, Ari!"

"Max, really. I'm just here to talk." Ari seemed unusually calm.

"Max," said Fang, "I think he really just wants to talk."

I gaped at Fang, completely confused. After a few seconds, I looked back at Ari. "Fine. What?"

"And so I came to warn you. Because they need Nudge to come back and fix the computers. And they're going to do _anything_ it takes to get her there. And something tells me that once they get her, they're not gonna let her come back," Ari said.

I couldn't believe my ears. First Angel, now Nudge! I thought they were done with us! I just sat and stared at Ari. And then I remembered.

"Wait. You're expiration date... What happened?" Shortly after we left the school for what we thought would be the last time, Ari's expiration date started to show up, meaning his "time" was soon.

"That's a long story. Let's just say my dad made some changes."

Jeb had definitely made some changes. Ari's wings were completely altered. His new wings were metallic, looking more like a Halloween costume than bird wings, like ours. His Eraser-like qualities were fading slightly, but he still had that wolfy look about him. In the back of my mind, I wondered if he could still transform to an Eraser, but I kept the thought to myself.

"Anyway," Ari continued, "They said they'd leave as soon as they're down to their last computer. All the computers are locking up like crazy, so they're losing control of everything."

"But what are they going to do with her when they're done? I mean, they won't just give her back, will they? She'll know _everything_ after they have her fix those computers," Iggy commented. Fang and Iggy were sitting on the couch with me, and Ari was in the chair on the other side of the room. Even though it was just the four of us in the room, I knew the rest of the flock was hearing the conversation from Angel in the other room.

"Iggy has a good point. Will they just keep her or what?" I asked.

Ari sighed. "I'm sorry, but I don't know. I don't think they've really thought that far ahead, yet."

So they were coming for Nudge, and we may not get her back. Angel could control minds, but only one at a time. And Iggy and Gazzy could blow them up, but there're always more following behind. We could fight them off, too, but we'd probably just get hurt in the process. And even though we heal quickly, the next version of an Eraser could injure us beyond repair.

Which means we were left with one choice.

Run.

"Take care of yourself, Ari," I said as Ari walked through the doorway. "And thanks. I owe you."

He shrugged. "It's what brothers are for." He turned and walked away, and as my flock and I watched him, his walk turned into a run, and he pushed up off the ground, pushing down air with his metallic wings. My mind was spinning crazily as I watched him leave. Where were we going to run? How long would we be able to hide? Did we have a plan B? Did we _need_ a plan B?

I felt a soft touch behind me. Startled, I turned around to see Fang touching his palm to the small of my back. I smiled a bit, and he pulled his hand away and walked back into the house. It was as much care and sympathy as I would ever get from Fang. Ever in a lifetime.

"What's going to happen now?" Nudge asked, sounding younger than she was, and sounding scared.

I shook my head. "I don't know."


	3. Chapter 3

3.

I thrust my wings down, then up. Flying makes me feel so good. So _f__ree._ It's like an escape from the stress of reality. My own little world in the sky.

But what was even better? Full speed.

I zoomed forward, ahead of the flock, then swooped down and circled around behind them. Fang was in the lead, followed by Nudge, Iggy, Angel, Gazzy, and me.

"Max," Gazzy called, his eyes still focussed on the sky ahead. "Where are we going?"

"I don't know yet, Gazzy." That's how it usually worked out. We always had a plan, but it was rarely a well thought-out. But that's what happens when you're randomly put in lethal situations. "But I'll let you know when we get there."

After a few hours of flying aimlessly, a large mountain range came into few below us. "Fang?" I called through the darkening sky.

He nodded, and we started to lower ourselves in order to land. "We'll stop here to rest, ok guys?" I called to the flock.

Gazzy nodded, and Nudge began to lose altitude as well. "Okay," Angel thought inside my head. I still hadn't gotten used to having someone else's thoughts up there. Even after having a voice inside my head for so long.

There were caves every 10 yards along the mountains, most of which were too small for any of us to fit inside. After circling for a while, we came across one that we would all be able to squeeze into. "Ready for landing, Ig?"

The cave wasn't exactly the nicest shelter in the world, but it was significantly better than a) the ground or b) flying around all night. Fang sat toward the front, Iggy and I toward the back. Iggy fell asleep right away, and I can see how. We were all pretty exhausted after flying all afternoon, even though we'd flown for longer periods of time in the recent past.

I stood and walked toward Fang, trying hard to not wake up the rest of the flock. He turned his head to me as I stood over him, then grinned a little. I sat down next to him, staring out at the starry sky, just as he was.

"I hate running," I said.

He shrugged, still staring out at the sky.

"Wanna race?" I asked.

He shook his head. "You'd win."

It was true. We all had _talents_, and mine happened to be super-speedy flight.

"Well," I said, "I'm sorry I got us all into this again." He looked inquisitively at me. "We wouldn't be in this mess if I had some _real_ plans up my sleeves. I mean, we're always on the run, you know? Because I never think things all the way through. And then everyone else in the flock has to deal with-"

I was cut off from my raging, Nudge-like monologue by Fang's lips abruptly touching mine, and my heart slowing to a dangerously sluggish beat. He pulled away, and I opened my eyes to see his confused face staring at mine. I put my arms around him and pulled him back to me, our lips meeting again, this time me being aware and he being surprised. He put his arms around my waist, and kissed me back, beginning to realize how much we'd both wanted this kiss. His lips slowly went from my face to my neck. "Wait," I said, stopping him.

He looked at me questioningly, and I gestured toward our sleeping flock. He sighed, stood, and unfurled his wings. I watched for a brief moment as he flew off, awed by the sight of him soaring through the deep blue night sky, then stood and followed behind.


	4. Chapter 4

4.

About a half mile away from our flock, Fang and I lay in a shallow cave. His arm was wrapped around my waist, holding my body tightly to his, my wings folded between us. We both faced out to the stars, our breathing in perfect sync, his lips pressing softly against the back of my neck. My vision was hazy, my mind was flooded with passion, my heart was beating quickly due to the sparks that had been between Fang's lips and mine only moments earlier. I enjoyed the sweet taste of peace, thanking the heavens that I could share that peace with Fang, no matter how long the feeling lasted.

It wasn't long before my eyelids began to droop. But I struggled to stay awake, realizing how perfect the moment was. I didn't want anything to bring this moment, this _peace_, to an end - whether it be sleep, morning, or Erasers. _Especially_ not Erasers.

And yet, the moment _was_ ended.

Fang sat up quickly, a sign of danger in his eyes. "The flock," he said quickly, fiercely, then stood and flew back to where we'd left our sleeping flock.

Before I could think, I flew after him, cursing. _Something just _had_ to go wrong. Just like always!_

As we flew, I realized why Fang had gotten worried. The flock was no long where we'd left them.

"Where'd they go?" I asked, standing in awe at the mouth of the empty cave.

But Fang just stood and stared, concerned eyes scanning the air around us.

Angel's thoughts entered my mind. _Up._

"Up," I repeated, turning my attention to the sky above. I saw Nudge leading the flock north, an aerie of hawks soaring directly above them.

_What's going on, Angel? _I thought.

_They looked so free... I flew after them. The rest followed._

I sighed. _You really scared us!_ I scolded.

Fang joined me as I leaped into the air, trying to catch up with the flock.

"What happened?" he asked coolly as we headed up, like Angel directed.

"Angel saw hawks," I replied. I could feel my cheeks getting hot. "She followed them."

Fang said nothing.


	5. Chapter 5

5.

Hours after my freak-out, we had arrived in Boston. As we were flying, rain began dropping below us.

"Let's land," I ordered, trying to avoid getting wetter than I needed to.

There was a park below, big enough for us to land, hidden enough for us to remain low-profile.

My feet hit the ground, and I pulled my wings in tight to my skin. I scanned our surroundings, trying to determine where in Boston we were. As the rest of the flock joined me, a group of three men in black suits came into view directly to my left. "Bad guys, 9 o'clock," I warned. "Run."

I'm about 99.9% certain that 6 kids running down the streets of Boston was not an unusual sight. 6 kids being chased by 3 well-dressed men, however, could have caught the attention of quite a few people. I didn't know _who_ they were, but I knew by the identical expression on all three of their faces that they were bad news. And ever since I saved the world, I didn't have my voice around to tell me when to run and when to stick around.

We ran as fast as we could, swerving in and out of people and bicycles and strollers and dogs and children on leashes. Every twenty paces or so, I'd turn my head to make sure the whole flock was with us, and to see how far behind the freaks in suits were. But with every twenty paces, they kept getting closer. Angel was running right behind me, so I knew she was having no trouble staying caught up. Gazzy was breathing heavily so Iggy would know where to follow, and Fang was ahead of me. The only one of us struggling was Nudge, which was bad news.

_Angel, what are they thinking? _I sent the message through my own mind, hoping it would cross through Angel's thoughts, too.

_I can't tell._ Her panicked voice came into my head. _They're minds are silent. I don't think they're actual people._

_Robots?_ I thought to myself. _Angel. Tell Nudge that if they catch her, she should try to hack them. If they are robots, they've got no chance against Nudge. _

We kept running, my heart racing faster than I thought was humanly possible. Then again, we're only 98% human.

I turned back again, doing another quick head check. The three "men" were gone... and so was Nudge.


	6. Chapter 6

6.

_Up_. As the voice spoke, my mind snapped back to reality, and I realized the trueness of Nudge's sudden kidnapping incident.

_You're back_, I thought to the voice.

_Yes, Max. And I'm trying to help. Up_, the voice demanded.

Yes, there was once a voice in my head. And it came back. Don't you have your own voice?

I looked up, following the voice's orders. I expected to see the suited men with wings fused to their backs, but instead I saw a jet plane flying west. _It's going to the school_, I thought. I stopped running, and I felt the flock jolt to a stop behind me. I simply stood and stared at the jet in the sky, knowing there was no way to catch up with it...

_Super speed_, the voice said.

_But my flock!_ I argued. Sure, _I_ could catch up. But _they_ couldn't. And I couldn't leave them in Boston.

I turned quickly, feeling a sudden presence at my side. Fang.

Fang.

"Fang, I have to go get Nudge. Fly toward the School. I'll see you there."

He simply nodded. Leave it to Fang to be a man of many words.

I ran back to the park, where I could fly away without being seen. I unfurled my wings, feeling relief. It was hard, keeping our wings sucked into our backs. I pushed myself upward, catching air in the downward motion of my wings. As I gained altitude, the jet became more and more clear. And the knowledge that I had to save Nudge became more and more strong. And the worry towards my flock grew and grew. But I continued on, knowing that I could trust Fang to keep the others safe. Right now, saving Nudge was top priority. So I flew on.

At first, I just worked on staying in the air, but as the distance between the jet and me became larger, I began gaining speed. My hair waved wildly, reacting to the wind hitting my face so hard. The jet was getting closer, and my heart was aching as I thought of what was happening to Nudge. I accelerated, going faster than I ever had, having more incentive than I'd ever had. But once I was close enough to the jet that it was possible for whoever was inside to see me, I swooped down and flew close below.

I looked back, hoping to see the flock only miles behind me, but all I saw was the sky, filled with the big, white, puffy clouds that Nudge dreams of flying through. Tears welled in my eyes, and I continued flying.


	7. Chapter 7

7.

Once Max was out of sight, Fang turned to face the flock, a look of leadership stretched across his worried face. "Ready to go, gang?" he asked.

They only nodded, not needing to say anything. _Nudge would have said something, of course, being such a chatter box_, Fang thought.

The 4 took off into the sky, aiming toward The School. Death Valley and such. He was great with directions. They all were. And he'd seen where max was headed.

Max.

He hoped she was okay. He knew she would be. She was strong and smart. She'd get herself out of anything. But he still couldn't help but worry a little.

Okay, maybe a lot.

_She's going to be okay,_ Angel thought in Fang's head. Fang nodded.

As they flew, the vision of Max's smile filled his mind. He couldn't help but grin a little.

"Hey, meat head!" Gazzy called.

Fang's attention darted to the 12-year-old behind him.

"What's with the dorky grin? We're on a rescue mission, remember?"

_It's okay, Fang,_ Angel thought to him. _I like her smile, too_. Fang turned to look at Angel, who gave him one of her sweet smiles. _I know you love her. _

_Of course I love her_, he thought. _She's my sister_.

_Not what I mean_, Angel thought, _and you know it. I know you guys left last night. And I know why._

Fang panicked a little, wondering how much Angel knew about last night. Then he remembered that she reads minds. She probably knew everything.

_Yup_, she thought cheerfully, innocently.

_Crap_, Fang thought to himself. _I should really stop thinking beyond the knowledge of a ten-year-old_. Because his thoughts of Max's warm hands on his bare chest and his lips on her neck were way too mature for a ten-year-old. Especially Angel.

Time passed slowly as they flew through the sky, but once they started to catch up to the jet, their travels became much easier. It helped to know exactly where they were going.

But Max was nowhere in sight. Fang scanned the sky around them thousands of times, in search of her, knowing he'd see her at some point.

But he didn't.


	8. Chapter 8

8.

_Okay, voice. How far am I from the School?_ I thought. Which was dumb, because the voice never answered questions.

_Just keep going_, the voice replied.

I plan to. Thanks, Captain Obvious. As I thought about the "relationship" between the voice and me, I really wished the voice had a name. It's genderless tone didn't help me to identify it.

_In the long run, a name is not important_, the voice replied.

_You've got to be kidding me_, I answered. I guess I should have expected it, though.

I lifted my gaze to see the jet still soaring at a steady pace, the same speed as my highest. Coincidence? Probably not. Since both the jet and I were made but white coats at the School, it was most likely far from coincidental that we had similar top speeds.

The jet and I had two things in common. The first? The jet and I kept flying, over towns and water, weaving in and out of clouds, being sure not to let anything get in the way of our flight. The second? Both wanted Nudge.

But I was going to win. Nudge was going to come back with me, be with the flock, and those stupid whitecoats were going down.

Again.

It seems like we had the same mission over and over again. Why? Probably because the idiots at the School and the Institute were… well, idiots. I guess I'd gotten used to it, though.

I flew on, glancing back every so often, still a fruitless search for the flock. _They'll catch up_, I reassured myself. _Just get Nudge_.

The plane began to slow – or maybe I imagined it – so I slowed as well, staying close. As soon as the doors opened, I was storming the place and my girl and I were running. Well, running after we kicked some serious butt.

And then we'd be back with the flock, safe again.

For a while.

How's that for a plan?


	9. Chapter 9

9.

Nudge sat in a fetal position, shaking with fear and anxiety. She didn't know where she was, who she was with, where they were taking her, how much danger they were in... The bars of the cage she was locked in were too close together for Nudge to squeeze even her hand through. She wondered where her family was. Were they trying to find her? And if so, would they be able to?

"Yes," a voice said. "They'll find you."

Nudge was startled by the sudden voice. She looked through the darkness to see where the noise came from. Many other cages surrounded her, all empty. All but one.

Another bird kid sat, relaxing, spreading his gray wings out against the back wall of his cage, stretching his legs as much as he could in such a small space.

Nudge stared curiously at him, trying to determine whether or not her eyes were deceiving her.

"They aren't," he said. "I'm Jake." A smile stretched across the bird kid's face.

Nudge stared.

"You're Nudge, right?"

She nodded, slowly and cautiously.

"And you can sense what's happened to objects, or whatever?"

She nodded again.

"That's cool. Do you know why we're here?"

She shook her head.

"These dumb experimentals locked up their computers. All of them. Some new guy didn't know the pass code. So the systems all went into lock mode, and the experimentals don't know how to fix it."

Nudge continued to stare, still silent.

"I read minds," Jake said.

_Like Angel..._ Nudge thought.

"Your sister?"

She nodded.

"Cool. Have any other siblings?" He seemed interested.

Nudge nodded.

"Are you gonna tell me about them?"

She hesitated, then opened her mouth to speak. "An older sister, Max. Three brothers. Iggy, Fang, and Gasman."

"Gasman?" he questioned. "There's gotta be a story to a name that strange."

"He has digestive problems, or something," she replied quietly.

Jake chuckled. "How old is he?"

"Twelve." She wondered why Jake was on the plane with her. And why he knew so much.

"I read minds, remember? That's how I know so much. These experimentals think about everything. I swear, they have ADD. And I'm here because they didn't want to leave me at the School," he answered.

"Who are the experimentals?" Nudge asked.

He laughed a little. "The idiots who created you. Who created us."

"Oh, the white coats?" It was starting to make sense to her now.

He nodded. "Sure." They sat in silence for a moment.

"Max is right below the jet, you know," Jake said, breaking the awkwardness. "I've been hearing her thoughts."

Nudge's heart lifted. "Really? Max is here?"

"She's been thinking about you. You and Fang. What's his story?"

Nudge didn't know why Max would be thinking about Fang. Wouldn't he be flying next to her?

"No," Jake said. "Max had to leave him behind. Something about keeping up."

"Oh," Nudge said, annoyed that Jake was in her head. "Fang is my oldest brother. He's real quiet. And he blends in when he stands still. It's pretty cool. He's not the oldest, though. He and Max are both eighteen, but Max is the leader, so to speak. She has been ever since Jeb left." She stopped, catching herself in a moment of the Nudge Channel. "Sorry, I get chatty sometimes."

"It's cool," he replied. "I'd rather you be chatty than silent."

Nudge stared through the darkness at Jake, her raptor vision allowing her to see him better than any human would be able to. She watched as he fidgeted in his cage. He was cute. Short, black hair, dark skin, brown eyes. He was slender, just like the flock, but looked stronger. Probably because of the wolf in him. She noticed him blushing, then realized that he was probably listening to everything she was thinking.

"I am," he responded.

The conversation continued. They talked for what seemed like hours. It was mostly Nudge talking, but Jake kept the conversation going by asking simple questions about points for Nudge to elaborate on. She liked talking to him. It was nice. It took her mind off the fact that she was currently locked in a cage and headed towards the School, a place no person ever wants to be headed toward. But as they sat in the darkness talking, she didn't think about being trapped. She felt… _happy_.

Until a white coat came to Nudge's cage.


	10. Chapter 10

10.

"Let's go," he grunted, opening Nudge's cage. She exited the cramped space and stepped out into the cargo section of the jet. Though the open space was relieving, the white coat's grip on her arm was uncomfortable as he dragged her to the front end of the jet. "I have subject thirteen," he spoke into a radio attached to his belt. The radio buzzed for a moment, then went silent again.

"Good. Bring it to the examination room immediately." The voice came from the radio.

_It_. She was an _it._

Nudge looked back to where Jake was still caged. A white coat stood next to the cage, staring down at Jake. Jake was staring back. Reading his thoughts, Nudge thought.

The white coat next to Nudge pushed her through a now-open door in front of them. She stumbled through, then walked quickly in front of the white coat as he shoved her down the hallway of the School. Nudge suddenly wished they'd left her in the cage. At least there she could talk to Jake.

But maybe he was one of them. Maybe she shouldn't have said any of what she'd said. Maybe he was just acting nice and cool so she'd tell him everything and he could turn on her when the white coats (experimentals) needed him to.

The white coat opened the door that now sat in front of Nudge, then pushed her through it. She fell forward, landing in a cold metal chair. "Sit," he grunted, and she did. The lights were dim, and Nudge's chair was the only thing in the room. There were no windows. Although, there weren't any windows in the rest of the School, either, Nudge reminisced. She sat in that chair for what seemed to be hours, the white coat standing behind her, breathing down her neck. She knew why she was at the School, but so far, it still didn't make much sense.

The white coat took a clipboard from his pocket (_big pockets_, she thought) and started writing. He began writing quickly, most likely taking notes on what Nudge was doing. Why? She had no idea. It wasn't like she was doing anything special.

The radio on his belt buzzed and hummed every once in a while, and voices occasionally came through. "Code 756H in room 357D," and "Code 567D in room 19." She'd never heard these terms and didn't know where the rooms were, so the conversations on the radio meant nothing. She continued listening anyway. "Code 3," one voice said, and Nudge heard a blood-curtling scream in the background. She winced, and the experimental scrawled something a little quicker, then his writing slowed once more.

And Nudge couldn't help thinking, _What now?_


	11. Chapter 11

11.

I dropped to the ground below, finally at the School, the last place I really wanted to be. I stood at the back corner of the building, watching as the jet sat in the runway, a tunnel connecting its exit to the School. I wouldn't be able to see Nudge when she left the jet. Thoughts circled my head as I tried to plan my great rescue mission. How would I get in? How would I know where she was? What would I do when I found her?

_Just get in and get out_, the Voice said. I nodded, and began circling the building, looking for an entrance.

I'd never seen this part of the School. Pictures frames were hung all along the halls, with photographs of scientists showing off their experiments. One picture was even of Jeb with Fang. Jeb had a grin painted on his face, but Fang sat frowning with his arms crossed. What was with the family photos? Another mind trick or something? It's like they knew I'd be there.

I was so absorbed in the picture that I almost didn't hear the white coat coming. I ran to hide in the doorway on the right side of the hall as a white coat passed by me, pushing a cart with a cage. He was completely clueless that I was there. The boy in the cage, however, looked at me and smiled. He looked about 15, Nudge's age. His face was round and covered in freckles, and... And he was a bird kid. As the cart rolled away, I caught a glance of gray wings through the back of the cage. I watched in awe as the white coat carted the boy away.

Once the two were out of sight, I shook my head, then followed them down the hall, being as quiet as I possibly could, careful not to catch the attention of the white coat.

They led me past a number of doors, each with labels across them. The labels said things like "Subject 9" and "Experiment 3." I remembered Angel telling me that they called her "subject 11" when she was captured four years ago. If Gazzy is 12, then that would make Nudge 13...

"Subject 13" was pasted to the door. I thought quickly, trying to come up with a plan. I scanned the halls for cameras, finding none.

"Hey," I called to the white coat. He turned his head, obviously startled. I ran toward him. "Eat fist!" I said, then punched him in the mouth. As he clutched his jaw, I swung my foot toward his head. He lay passed out on the floor, and the boy in the cage looked up at me.

"Help?" he asked. I opened the cage and he got out, stretching his legs. "Jake," he introduced, putting out his hand. But when he looked up, I was already taking the lab coat off of the man sprawled across the floor. I put the coat on, the introduced myself and accepted his hand shake. "Max," I said. "Where's Nudge?"

He thought for a moment, as if he were listening to something. Then he pointed to the door labeled "Subject 13."

I nodded, then burst the door open.


	12. Chapter 12

12.

Nudge sat in the dark room for what seemed to be hours. She had nothing to do but stare at the blank wall in front of her, since the experimental behind her didn't seem too friendly. She counted bricks on the wall, and the experimental took notes. She traced veins on her arms, and the experimental took notes. She daydreamed of where Max was, and the experimental took notes.

"Is Subject 13 ready for examination, Smith?" The voice came from the radio, starling Nudge.

_Extermination?_ Nudge thought. _What about fixing the computers?_

The experimental spoke into the radio to reply. "Yes. It's sitting here in front of me right now."

_Wait, what!_ Nudge couldn't believe it. What about all that stuff Jake had said about fixing the computers? Going back to see what they'd done to mess up. She couldn't fix anything if she were _dead_!

The experimental put away his clipboard and grabbed Nudge's arm. "I can't fix the computers if I'm dead," she said, and he stopped dead in his tracks.

"What?" he responded, astonished.

"The computers. I can't fix them if you kill me." She hid her fear and confusion. She'd learned from Max that some situations call for hiding your emotions, and she felt like this was one of those situations. "Are you really going to kill me?"

He stared at her, then released his grip and took a step back. "How… how do you… What?" he muttered, obviously shocked that she knew about the computer situation.

"Let me guess… You're the new guy who screwed up the computers in the first place, right?" she asked, sounding bored. She'd learned so much from Max. The experimental stepped back again. "I thought so," said Nudge, then punch the guy in the face.

He moaned, falling to the ground. _Not very tough of a guy_, she thought. She kicked him in the ribs, hearing a couple break, then ran toward the door to see it fly open. She winced as light filled the room. She was scared it would be another white coat out in the hall. She turned her eyes to the hall to see Max and Jake standing, looking ready to fight. Nudge smiled and ran into Max's arms.

As I hugged my little girl (not so little anymore, I might add), I saw a white coat sprawled out in the room. Nudge had held her own. I was proud.

"Max, I was so scared," she said.

"I know, sweetie," I murmured, hugging her.

"They weren't really going to exterminate you," Jake said.

What?

Nudge looked at him, not nearly as confused as I was.

"That's good," she replied, "because I would have been one hell of a ghost."

I stared at them. Obviously I'd missed something. "Watch your language," I finally said, not sure what else to say.

_Get out_, said the Voice.

Oh, duh. Get in, get out, it had said. I got in. Guess it was time for the get out part.

"Time to go," I said, grabbing Nudge and heading down the hall, back the way I came. What was odd, though, was that Jake followed.

I turned to him and stared.

"Well yah, I'm going with you. You really think I'd stay here?"

I looked at him, confusion obviously flooding my face. "He reads minds," Nudge said.

_Oh, just what we need!_ I thought. _Another mind reader!_

Jake frowned, but I ignored him and we kept walking.

Time to get out. With or without the extra.


	13. Chapter 13

13.

I was nervous. Of course, I'd never admit that to anyone in the flock – except maybe Fang. But still, very nervous. Nervous we'd get caught. Nervous Fang would be mad about the new kid, like he was mad about Ari forever ago. Nervous the rest of the flock was still way back where I left them. Nervous the flock had gotten captured, too. Nervous we'd get caught… Yah, I said that one twice.

_Oh, God, Fang better be out there_, I was thinking.

_Focus, Max_, said my uninvited visitor.

I rolled my eyes at the Voice, assuming it could see me.

Nudge, Jake, and I hurried silently down the hallway, back the way I'd come in. I swore I'd kill the kid if he said anything, or did anything to blow our cover. And as if he could read my mind, he stayed quiet. I made a left, then a right. I began to make another right when the kid tapped me on the shoulder. I looked at him, daring him to say what he was thinking. "What?" I whispered harshly. He pointed the other way.

I thought for a moment, then realized he was right. We should be going that way. We passed by the picture of Fang and Jeb again, then reached the door, where three very large men were standing guard. And they saw us.

One grabbed his radio while the other took a step toward us. "What's your business?" he said, towering over Nudge, but not very intimidating to me. _Think, think_, I told myself.

The lab coat!

I forgot I was wearing a lab coat.

"Taking these out for fresh air," I said. "I was told to, uhh, monitor them in the open air. See what effect the sunlight has." _What!_ I thought, mentally smacking myself. There was no way. We'd been caught.

I readied myself to kick some butt when the guys stepped out of our way, one opening the door for us.

I stood dumbfounded for a moment, barely believing they fell for it. Then I realized what was happening, and I grabbed Nudge's arm and dragged her out the door, followed by Jake.

Once we were outside and the door was closed, Nudge and I instinctively pulled out our wings, flying off before anything could go wrong. Jake followed right behind, almost no delay, as if he knew exactly what to do.

"So what's your story?" I asked him as we headed back to where I'd left the flock.

"What do you mean?" he asked, looking straight ahead. Nudge smiled as I asked the question, but I had no clue why.

"Where'd you come from, what'd they do to you… That sort of thing."

_You know, as in, are you on our side, or are you going to turn on us at any moment? Did they tell you everything? Do you know what we don't? Were you made like we were? Were you around when we were made? _I was thinking.

"I'm Nudge's friend, so yes, I'm on your side. I'm not going to turn on you. They don't tell me much, but I hear a lot, so I probably know a lot of stuff you guys don't. I had avian and lupine DNA grafted onto me as a baby, so yes, made like you. I was around when you were made, but they labeled me a mistake, so I stuck around the school." He stopped, then looked at me as I flew with my mouth hanging wide open, eyes as big as Frisbees.

"He reads minds," Nudge said, which was probably the shortest sentence she had every said since she was born.

I blinked, then tried to comprehend. _Great_, I thought, _another mind reader. Just what we need._


	14. Chapter 14

14.

Fang was just ahead, the others following him. He looked relieved when he saw me with Nudge, then confused when he saw Jake. "Picked up and extra?" he asked blankly, eyeing Jake. I shrugged and watched the younger kids hug Nudge and welcome her back.

We stopped in at a park that night, somewhere between New York and California. Nudge slept soundlessly on a branch high above me, cuddled up with Angel. Iggy was a few trees over, sleeping restlessly, Gazzy a few branches below him. Jake was two trees from Nudge, sleeping… well, normally. Nothing had seemed abnormal about him, but I still wasn't sure.

"Angel would've picked up on anything weird," Fang said.

"He knows Angel reads minds," I countered, "so he knows what to think and what not to think."

Fang shrugged, then put his hand on mine. "Worried?" he asked, his face dark and concerned. (Well, as concerned as Fang ever looks.)

I nodded. "I don't think we can trust him."

Fang's grip tightened around my hand, his fingers in mine. "Me either. Not yet."

I looked at him. "But you think we'll be able to trust him eventually?"

Fang shook his head. "Don't know."

We sat on the tree branch, watching our family, keeping an eye on the tag-along, Fang holding my hand in his. I eventually fell asleep, because I remember waking up when the sun began to shine to hear my stomach growling.

I woke everyone up. "Breakfast," I said, urging them to get up.

"Where to?" Iggy asked, falling from the tree to the ground, sticking the landing.

I had no idea. "Somewhere in town," I said. We'd figure it out when we got there.

Nudge dropped from the tree slowly at first, then lost her coordination and just fell over.

"You okay, sweetie?" I said, figuring she was fine.

Nudge shook her head. "I don't feel too well," she said groggily, then puked in the grass.

"Oh, gross!" Gazzy said.

"What, what!" Iggy asked. "Did she upchuck?"

Fang and I exchanged worried glances, and I rushed over to Nudge to hold her hair back as she crouched down in the grass and vomited again. I rubbed her back. "It's gonna be okay," I said soothingly, screaming inside. What was going on? It's not like we had weak stomachs!

"Max, I _really_ don't feel good," she said again, looking pale and nauseous. I nodded, and then without warning, Nudge passed out in the grass.

I freaked. "Nudge, get up, sweetie," I urged. "Come on… come on… Get up, dammit! Nude!" He breathing was slow, her face was still paler than usual. What was going on?

"She's sick," said Jake.

"Well I can see that!" I yelled, then turned back to Nudge.

"No, Max," Jake replied. "She's sick."

I thought for a minute.

Sick…

Sick.

Sick?


	15. Chapter 15

15.

Thinking back on it, it was actually rather creepy the way Jake informed us that Nudge was sick. I mean, it was sort of like a drone, in a real monotone voice. Realy creepy, actually. Like he knew what was happening. Like he was programmed or something. A robot?

And trust me, we didn't have great experiences with robots in the past.

_Angel_, I thought. _Picking up anything weird from Jake?_

Angel shook her head. Then I heard her think, _He's really worried about Nudge, just like you. _

I nodded, though not entirely convinced.

"I'm on your side, Max," Jake said in a completely normal voice. "Nothing weird. Well, except the wings. But I thought you'd find a way to accept me for who I am…" The sarcasm was flawless.

I rolled my eyes. Had to admit, he fit in well.

Whatever. He was still creepy.

_You shouldn't be so paranoid,_ said the Voice.

So many people inside my head!

I started to argue and say that I wasn't paranoid, but I was. Always have been, always will be. Previous life experience hasn't really taught me otherwise.

I guess there were two pending issues.

One: Figure out what the deal was with this Jake kid. The wings and the attitude made him seem like he was one of us, but he'd been at the school his whole life. I couldn't trust him yet.

Two: Figure out what was going on with Nudge. Sick? Really? What kind of sickness do bird kids get that induce vomit? Anyone out there know? Cause we don't!

Wait…

I knew someone who might…


End file.
